Another day, another dire climate change assessment. A wake up call for California

Originally when I started our Climate Change Tuesday postings nearly a month ago, I promised that I would include not just the bad news, but also any good news that might come to the forefront. When I say good news I mean the kind of news where maybe a certain technology is evolving somewhere around the globe that shows great promise in how we’re addressing climate change. Or maybe a metric that shows how things may not be as bad as previously reported. Unfortunately, this Tuesday will not be one of those days.

As is so often the case on a seemingly daily basis, another study has been released that offers even more dire predictions for the future concerning our fragile planet. In this case it comes in the form of the Fourth Climate Change Assessment, courtesy of the state of California. I came across the report via an article printed in The Guardian by Carla Green. Some of the more dire predictions for the state: By 2100, without a reduction in emissions, the state could see a 77% increase in the average areas burned by wildfires. The report also warns of erosion of up to 67% of its famous coastline, up to an 8.8F rise in average maximum temperatures, and billions of dollars in damages. Once again, we’re faced with scientific assessments from some of the top minds in the world on this subject. Once again however, we’re also faced with a situation in the United States of America where the pushback from powerful corporate stakeholders continue to infiltrate our political system.

I do realize I’m not a lone wolf when it comes to climate change issues. And I will continue to point out the dire nature of what’s going on until I’m blue in the face. I hope in my lifetime there will be a consensus in America. A consensus where both sides of the political debate will come together in the spirit of extending the life of the planet. I know it seems like we’re light-years away from such an occurrence. But, there’s always hope. I refuse to give up on that. As a matter of fact, even in a dire report such as this, there are suggestions as to how to mitigate the devastating impacts. The question of course remains: Do we have the will and the fortitude to get it done?

So maybe next week … or the week after … I’ll use this space to point out some good news regarding the warming of our planet. In the meantime though, I urge you to check out the Guardian article, as well as the Climate Assessment report for California. It’s simply more evidence revealing the obvious. It’s not that we need anymore. It’s just that we need to put it out there. We need to discuss it. We need to shout from the mountaintop if necessary. Skeptical politicians, especially those in bed with the fossil fuel companies, need to hear it. It’s like a prosecutor’s evidence file in a case against a defendant: You can never have enough.